Parliamentary Panel Advocates for Faster Disability Certification with Private Medical Professionals
New Delhi: A parliamentary standing committee has emphasized the need to address delays in medical assessments for people with disabilities and recommended the inclusion of private medical professionals to expedite their certification.
The Standing Committee on Social Justice and Empowerment, in its report tabled in Parliament on Monday, raised concerns over significant delays in the disability certification process.
According to the PTI report, the Committee noted that while the UDID project has successfully generated approximately 1.18 crore cards, its implementation continues to face challenges due to a shortage of medical professionals, inadequate hospital infrastructure and a large backlog of pending applications at hospitals.
"To address these issues, the Committee recommend that the Department work in close coordination with state governments to strengthen medical infrastructure, expedite the inclusion of private medical professionals in the certification process, and ensure the availability of well-equipped facilities for disability assessment," the panel said.
The panel said the Department of Disability Affairs should facilitate specialised training programmes for medical authorities to improve efficiency in issuing disability certificates and reduce delays.
The panel said the Department of Disability Affairs has struggled with fund utilisation in previous years.
In 2024-25, the department spent only Rs 892.68 crore of the revised estimate of Rs 1167.27 crore, a utilisation rate of 76.48 per cent.
This shortfall was attributed by the panel to disruptions caused by new financial models and delays in receiving utilisation certificates from state governments.
Despite positive initiatives, the committee said, there has been a persistent underutilisation of funds in key programmes, reports PTI.
For example, the Scheme for Implementation of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act (SIPDA) has faced significant budget cuts and spending inconsistencies. In 2024-25, only Rs 43.90 crore of the revised Rs 111 crore was utilised.
To address these challenges, the committee has called for targeted remedial measures, including better engagement with state governments and NGOs.
It also urged the department to streamline administrative processes, expedite fund disbursement and improve monitoring systems through digital platforms like the ADIP & RVY Joint Interface for Unique Nomination (ARJUN) portal.
The committee called for simplifying application processes and and integrating AI-based verification to ensure timely disbursal of funds to eligible students.
The Standing Committee praised the department’s proactive measures but stressed the need for sustained collaboration between the central and state governments.
It called for the institutionalisation of successful models like Karnataka’s village-level workers and a structured framework to document and replicate best practices nationwide.
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